Batmen Return from Italy Trip With Unblemished 9-0 Record

It's a long way from Omaha, Nebraska to the Vatican in Rome, especially if you are the Harvard baseball team. And years after the 1973 Crimson nine hang up their spikes, they will remember their two-week undefeated swing through Italy and try to forget their dismal showing at the NCAA championships in Omaha.

The baseball team that took nine straight from the best sunny Italy had to offer (which is not as good as Japan, to put the trip in perspective) was a much different outfit from the squad that travelled to Omaha in early June for the NCAAs, quickly dropped their first two games, and just as quickly, returned home.

Relaxed and Resourceful

Coach Loyal Park's charges alternated between playing baseball and seeing Italy, and the dual existence resulted in a relaxed and resourceful Crimson squad.

The team swept to nine victories with an awesome show of power, and as a result, not much need for pitching. The Crimson power hitters--specifically Jim Stoeckel, who hit six home runs--rubbed their eyes in disbelief when they saw the Italian fences.

The fences at the park in Rome, where the first two games were played, stood only 270 feet from home plate, the length of a long pop fly. Joe Namath could probably throw a football that far with the Noxzema girl breathing down his neck.

Well, Stoeckel was at no such disadvantage, and he managed to hit three round-trippers in the first game, leading the Crimson to a 15-6 rout. The next night, the Crimson pounded the fences again en route to an 8-5 victory.

Italy threw its national team against Harvard, and although the Italians cannot yet compare to the Japanese, they are considered a powerful force in European baseball.

After playing the Crimson in five different cities, the Italian nationals went on to the European championships and won two consecutive games by scores of 22-1 and 23-2.

But if the Italians know how to hit, they are weaker in other areas of the game. Park said yesterday from a summer camp in Mars, Pa. that the "national team had good power, but they were weak on fundamentals."

"They need help in pitching, speed and defense," Park said. "They need a few good American coaches to come over and teach them fundamentals."

Park said that he was impressed by the great enthusiasm for baseball in Italy. "The spectators stayed right to the final out, no matter what the score," he said.

Italy has no professional baseball league. Park said that they expect to start one inside of 10 years, but he estimated that the Italians are at least ten years behind the Japanese.

Italy has no amateur program, and Park said he thinks it is this deficiency which hurts the Italians on fundamentals. Park said he was offered a five-year contract to coach in Italy.

"They are hungry for instruction," Park explained.

One Night-Stand

After sweeping two straight in Rome, the Crimson journeyed to Gesetto for a one-night stand, winning a close game, 8-7. They left immediately for Bologna for a two-game set.

In Bologna, a city of 500,000 north of Florence, the team won 8-5 the first night, and came back the next night to win a slugfest, 11-6.

The squad took a day off to visit Florence, where Robert Watson, director of athletics, met them. After the Florence sidetrip, Harvard continued southward to Parma for a 3-0 shutout victory and then to Palerno for another slugfest, which they won, 13-10.

Having travelled the entire length of Italy, the batsmen then returned to the east coast for a four-team tourney at Rimini. The Italian teams there were class A clubs, the league which feeds the national team.

In this beautiful seacoast town, the Crimson completed the highly-successful series with 9-0 and 9-4 victories. Pitcher Mike O'Malley picked up the trophy as the outstanding American player.

Park was encouraged by the team's performance, particularly the sophomores. He said that he got a good look at the pitchers and at sophomore catcher Danny Williams.

Hawaii Trip?

The successful trip meant an invitation to return next year. Park said that Harvard is also considering a trip to Hawaii and Japan within the next two years. But it is unlikely that the batmen will get an audience with Japanese Emperor Hirohito as they did with Pope Paul.

Park gushed with enthusiasm when he spoke about the team's meeting with the pope. "They took pictures of my wife and I with the pope," he said. "And then he said in French before switching to English, 'I never knew we had a Catholic baseball team.'"CrimsonPeter A. SouthwickJIM STOECKEL, shown here rubbing dirt on his hands, hit six home runs in Italy.